Twisting-machine



W. F. SMITH.

TWISTING MACHINE. APPLICATION mm FEB. 12. I917.

- 35-6,834 Patented Oct. 26,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- Myer/r0).-

William F .S'milh.

Patented Oct. 26, 1920. a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w. F. SMITH. TWlSTING MACHINE.-

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1917.

w. F. SMITH. TWISTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 19W.

Patented 0017. 26, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 M wh far.- W /'///'a m f. Smifh.

v citizen of the United States, residin stair star WILLIAM F. SMITH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TWISTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentefl 9 26 1920 Original application filed January 17, 1916, Serial No. 72,493. Divided and this application filed February 7 12, 1917; Serial No. 148,273.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. SMITH, a at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Twisting-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to twisting machines, and is a division of Patent No. 1,263,478, issued April 23, 1918.

This invention relates particularly to machines for forming a plurality of tinsel threads into a stranded conductor for use in telephone or switchboard cords.

One object of this invention is to produce a machine for stranding a plurality oftinsel threads into a symmetrical flexible conductor in such a manner that any strain or stress applied to the conductor is uniformly and equally distributed over the several threads, thereby greatly increasing the conductor life.

A furtheu object of this invention is to provide means for applying tension to the tinsel threads so that the tension .will be uniform for all threads regardless of the direction of rotation of the twisting head. Preferably, this is accomplished by providing a flexible belt in engagement with the spool supports and equalizing links in connection therewith for distributing the tension thereon.

This invention will be fully understood from the following description, considered sionto the tinsel threads.

in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-' Figure 1 is a side elevation of a twisting machine embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 isa plan view of the twisting head with parts broken away to show the tensionequalizing and adjusting means;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the twisting head showing further the tension-equalizing and adjusting means; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the twisting head.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 10, 11 and 12 are vertical frame members of the twisting machine.

Members 11 and 12 are connected near the top of the machine by a horizontal member a close to the periphery thereof is mounted a number of spool supports or spindles 20 for carrying spools or bobbins 21. The spindles 20 are journaled in ballbearings 22 and 23 of any well-known construction. 0n the sides of the spi'ndles'are spring members 24, which press against the inner peripheries of spools 21 for holding themin place and against rotation relative to the spindle upon which-they are mounted.

At the center of the twisting head is an auxiliary frame 25 with outwardly extend ing arms 26, near the ends of which are secured, by means of screws 27, wheels 28 having two grooves in each ofthe peripheries thereof. Just below and in alinement with each. wheel 28 is a grooved wheel 29 To each of the spindles 20 between ball-bearings 22 and 23 is secured a sleeve 32 having an annular groove 33 therein. A circular belt 34 passes around the spindles and in grooves 33 for applying the necessary tenthe belt 34 is rigidly secured a metal tip or socket 35, which is pivotally secured, b means of screw 36, to equalizing links 3; pivotally supported on block 38, which is adapted to slide on threaded rod 39.

It- Will be seen. that with the ends of the belt held in a definite fixed position, the rotation of the spindles would cause the flex-- ible belt to impart very non-uniform tension, that is, the rotation of the several spindles would cause the belt to impart the greatest tension to the spindles immediately on one side of the fixed position of the belt, and the least tension to the spindles immediately on the opposite side of the fixed po- To each end of I sition, depending upon the direction of rotation of the spindles. By means of equalizing links :37, the slack in the belt on one s de of the links is given over to the opposlte around the spindles. It will, therefore, be

seen that by the turning of a single member 39, the tension on the belt maybe easily and readily adjusted. i

The twisting .head may be driven in any well-known manner, preferably by applying power to the sprocket wheel 43, as disclosed more fully in my copending application, Serial No. 72493.

On the front of the machine is a bracket 78 for supportin a spool 79 carrying a tinsel thread or filler 80 for forming the center of the stranded conductor. 81 and brake member 82 are carried by the bracket 78 for applying tension to the filler 80 as it is drawn from the spool 79.

The operation of the machine is as follows: y

The tinsel thread or filler 80 is drawn from spool .79 around, grooved pulley 83, up through the center of the twisting head 15 and the auxiliary frame 25, and thence to the periphery of grooved wheel 85, at which point several threads of tinsel 86 are applied around the filler. The tinsel threads 86 are drawn from spools 21 over and along one groove of wheels 28, thence down and around grooved wheels 29, thence up and along theother groove ofwheels 28, thence to the periphery of the grooved wheel where they are formed around the filler 80. From this point the stranded conductor passes over{ and around grooved wheel 87, thence back along another groove in wheel 85, andlthence on to a suitable take-up device. Grooved wheels 85 and 87 are mounted on the cross-member 13 and are preferable to a bushing for forming tinsel threads into a stranded conductor, there being less cutting eflt'ect between the tinsel and rotatable wheels than between the tinseland a bushing. The tinsel threads 86, in passing around grooved wheels 29 normally counteract the weight of the p unger 30,

Spring the weight of wheels 29 and the action of compression springs 88, so that the ends of the plunger 30 are held'flush with the openings in thetwisting head 15, through which they pass.

hould any one of the tinsel threads carried bythe twisting head break or slacken, the plunger 30, supported thereby, falls to the position shown in Fig. 4, and the end of the plunger, extending below its respective opening in the twisting head, may engage a tripping device for automatically stopping the rotation of the twisting head, as fully disclosed in my copending application I Serial No. 72493. What is claimed is: v 1. In a machine for twisting strands, a

twisting head, a plurality of spool supports 3 carried thereby, tensioning means common orts comprismg a a to all of said spool su flexible belt, and equa lzing means therefor comprising equalizing links.

4.111 a machine for twisting strands, a revoluble head, a plurality of spool supports carried thereby, a brake-band engaging said spool supports, equalizing links for said brake-band, and a single adjusting means for controlling the tension of the brakeband.

5. In a machine for twisting strands, a revoluble head, a plurality of spool su ports carried thereby, tensioning means fbr all said spool supports, equalizing links connected to said tensioning means, and a single member for adjusting said tensioning means through the instrumentality of said equalizin links.

n witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 6th da of. Feb. A. D. 1917.

- .W'IIZLIAM E. SMITH. 

